Idaho Closes Part of CJ Strike Reservoir to Sturgeon Fishing After Mortality Event

Idaho is shutting down sturgeon fishing on part of CJ Strike Reservoir, and the reason is not paperwork. It is dead fish.

Idaho Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks signed a conservation closure for sturgeon fishing on the Snake River arm between Canyon Creek and Rattlesnake Creek. The closure took effect August 2 and runs through September 25, 2026.

Low dissolved oxygen and high water temperatures are stressing fish in that section. Fish and Game has already verified 16 dead sturgeon in the closure area, with fish ranging from 5 to 9 feet long. This is the second mortality event of this size in four years, and biologists say the population has dropped about 15% since 2022.

That matters because sturgeon are not replaceable on a normal fishing-season timeline. Idaho’s fisheries staff noted that these fish can take 50 to 70 years to reach around 9 feet. Lose too many big fish now and the hole stays in the population for a long time.

Nobody who loves fishing likes a closure. But real conservation means knowing when harvest or even catch-and-release pressure has to get out of the way. If you fish CJ Strike, watch the signs, respect the closure, and let these fish get through the heat.